Magnetic mechanism for controlling flow of rinse water in dishwashing machines



1954 G J FEDERIGHI ETAL 2,663,543

MAGNETIC MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF RINSE WATER IN DISHWASHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 I JNVENTORS 4a 47 c5 3 GEORGE J. FEDERIGHI F 7 TOFlE. H NoFzEN .M r E AT TO RNEYS 1954 .J. FEDERIGHI ETAL 2,668,548

MAGNETIC MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING FLOW 0F RINSE WATER IN DISHWASHING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Feb: 223, 1952 III]:

INVENTORS GEORGE J. FEDERIGHI TORE |-l. NOREN J. BY

MP Q%,.

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 9, 1954 MAGNETICMECHANISM FOR CONTROLLINGl FLOW=LOF RINSEWATERIN DISHWASHING.

MACHINES GeorgeJ. Eederighi and Tore H; Noren, San Francisco, Calif;

Application rebruaryes, 1952, serau No. 273,076 1.01am... (01. 134-46) The present invention 7 relates to a; ma netic mechanism for controlling how of rinse water inx a dishwashing machine; It; has; particular refzr' erence to improvements overour copen n p:

plication, entitled Rinse Water Control Mechae nism for Dish-Washing Machines, Serial No. 2621 76," filed; in the United :States Patent Oflice on December 18, 1951.

In the aboveidentifiedcopending case, we provide an;electrically-operated valve, which is arranged exteriorly of a rinsing compartmentof a, dish-washing machine, for; controlling the dis-.

charge of hot, rinse water-over dishes being advanced in baskets through this compartment. For actuating the valve. automatically, we provide a, trip having a mercury switch mounted there-- in, which is disposed to be actuated as each basket.

dulum-like tripis mountedso as to. be actuated.

bythe, advancing baskets. Thetrip is provided with amagnet, which is made to operate the. valve-controlling switch. Th latter and'all of the-necessary electrical wirings connected therewith aremounted exteriorly of the. rinsing compartment so .as..-to be .free from exposure to the rinsing water.-

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification. continues. The novel features;

will: be pointed -out'in the claim hereunto appended.

D awi s For; a better-understanding ofour invention.

referenceishould be. had-to the accompanying drawings, forming part .of this application, in, which;

Figure 1 is a-longitudinalvertical sectional view taken through a portion of a dish-washing machine and embodying our improved magnetic mechanism ion-controllingthe flow of rinse water;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of; the lower left.- hand portionoi iie re ..1.;

Figure Bis a vertical, transverse sectional view taken along the p1a11...II I-III of Figure 2;- and Figure 4, is a horizontal sectional view; taken along the line IV.-IV of Figure 2..

While wehaveshown, only thepreferred form of; ourinventi o n, it. should be, understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope. of .the annexed claim: without departing from the spirit thereof Detailed description Referring to the drawings, we have shown a portion of; a dish-washing machine; which in? cludes aca-binet-likestructure indicatedgeneral. 1y at A; in Figures; 1 and-2. Theupper partofa. his. struc ure defines aihood I!) having, an .eXit. openin I I at; its; rear,- which .may be closed by; a-drop, curtain I2.

Dishes. l 4. to, be washed are. placed in baskets.- B. The latter-are supported onand guided along a pair. of spaced-apart rails 15, which-extend lengthwise through the. bottomportion of.. he hood, delivering the dish-carrying baskets; through the exit opening. The arrangement for; advancing the baskets in the direction. of the; arrow it (see Figure 1 is fully shown in another of our copending applications, entitled.Mech-. anism for Moving Dish-Containing Baskets Through an Automatic. Dish-Washing. Machine, Serial No. 220,954, filedin-the United States.Pat-.- cnt Ofiice on April 13, 1951.

The interior-of the-hood defines washing andrinsing compartments C and D, respectively, through which the baskets areadvanced. A plus rality of slottedpipes H: are arranged in the washing compartment so-as to discharge hot detergent-containing. water- 18 against the dishes from above and below (see Figure 1) After-the dishes have-been cleaned, the baskets B are advanced between spray nozzles l9 -arranged in the compartment D. These nozzles direct hot'rinse water 20 -over"thedishes. Thiswater is supplied from asuitable source; such as a boiler, anc l'flows through an inlet pipe-2| to an electrically-operated valv E. Normally-the plunger 22 of thisvalve closes against, its seat; However, when the valve is opened, the hot water is delivered through pipes 23 to the spray nozzles.

It will be notedthat' the valve E. is disposed exteriorly of the cabinetelike structure A S0 as to be out of reach of the detergent-containing; water [8. In order to conserve hot rinse water. and atithe same time prevent an excess amount thereof, from diluting the, detergent water, the spraying of the rinse water from the nozzles is controlled by the forward advancementofthe baskets B- This is accomplished by placing atripE in the pathof the advancing, baskets.

.As .shown in the drawings, thev trip. ispendulum-like in construction and is swingably sup.- ported on a, journal pin 24, which extends, through ears 25 fixed to anddepending from one of the, rails l5. Any othersuitable means may beemployed for mounting the trip for swinging, movement. The trip is balancediormoving by gravity into the. full-line position disclosedin Figure 1.,

At. the. upper end. .ofthe trip, we have shown. an inclined, nose 26 that. projects upwardly through. a slot 21 fashioned in a; horizontal flange 28 of the rail". l5 on'which, the trip is supported. This nose slopes in theidireotionof travel or the baskets B,- and is disposed to be 3 depressed by the advancing baskets, swinging the trip into the dot-dash line position suggested in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The lower end of the trip is formed with a recess 29 in which a horseshoe magnet 3|] is arranged, the magnet being suitably insulated from the wall of the recess. For the purpose of preventing water from gaining access to the magnet, a non-magnetic plate 3| is disposed to provide a liquid-tight closure over the mouth of the recess. i

In order to allow the magnet to be adjusted toward or away from a bottom wall 32 of'the compartments B-C, the trip has been made in upper and lower sections FI and F2, respectively, which are slidably interconnected with each other. With particular reference to Figures 2 and 4, it will be seen that a rib 33 on the upper section Fl projects into a companion groove 34 fashioned in the lower section F2. Bolts 35 are provided for clamping these two sections in adjusted position relative to one another.

The clockwise swinging of the trip about its 4 ever, as soon as a basket is advanced to swing the trip into its dot-dash line position shown in Figure 1, the switch will close, resulting in opening the valve E and causing hot rinse water to be discharged over the dishes contained in the basket B then disposed in the rinsing compartment.

Upon moving the basket B through the exit opening H, the trip F will gravitate into its norsage of adish-carrying basket B over the nose journal pin 24 is limited by stops 36, which are arranged to abut the underneath surface of the rail [6 on which the trip is supported (see Figures2and 3).

For the purpose of controlling the electricallyoperated valve E, and thereby the rinse water, we have arranged a conventional mercury switch G in a casing 31 mounted underneath the wall 32. This switch includes a fixed terminal 38, which extends into a body of mercury 39 enclosed in a glass capsule 40 of the switch (see Figure 2). Moreover, the switch has an armature terminal 4| which is supported by a coil spring 42. The latter urges the contact 43 of the armature terminal toward the mercury.

However, when the magnet 38 is disposed above the switch G, the field 44 established by the magnet will attract the armature terminal, raising the contact 43 of the latter out of the mercury. When the trip is swung into its dotdash line position, as shown in Figure 1, due to a basket B riding over the nose 26, the magnetic field is removed from the armature terminal. Thereupon, the latter will be moved downwardly by the spring 42 until the contact 43 enters the mercury.

The wall 32 is interposed between the magnet 30 and the mercury switch, with the latter and all wirings connected thereto being disposed exteriorly of the rinsing compartment and separated therefrom by this wall. Of course, the wall 32 may be made of non-magnetic material in order to allow the magnetic field 44 to pass therethrough. In the event that this wall is fashioned from magnetic material, then an opening 45 may be formed therein, and a non-magnetic plate 46 welded or otherwise secured thereover. This plate will permit passage of the field from the magnet to the armature terminal.

The fixed terminal 38 has a wire 4'! leading to one end of the solenoid windings 43 of the valve E (see Figure 1), while the armature tere minal M is connected by a wire 49 to one side of a source of electricity 5B. The other end of the solenoid windings and the remaining side of the electrical source are interconnected by a wire 5| to complete the circuit.

Inasmuch as the magnet 38 is disposed directly above the mercury switch, in the absence of a basket B passing over the nose 26 of the trip, the switch normally will be opened. Thus, current will not be flowing through the electrical circuit and the valve E will remain closed. How- 26 of the trip.

We claim:

In a dish washing machine, a rinsing compart merit, a rail extending longitudinally through said compartment and adapted to support haskets having dishes therein, means forming an opening in said rail, a spray nozzle mounted above said rail and adapted to direct fluid downwardly toward said rail, a journal pin positioned below and attached to said rail, a trip pivotally mounted on said pin and comprising a normally vertically extending arm portion depending from said pin, and a second nose-forming portion rigidly connected at an angle to the first portion and normally extending upwardly through said rail opening and adapted to be engaged by a basket traveling on said rail, the first mentioned portion hav ing a magnet secured therein, said compartment comprising a floor and upstanding side walls,

means forming an opening in said floor, a plate formed of a non-magnetic material closing said contact having an armature attached thereto, said opening, a switch positioned below said opening and attached to said floor and comprising a fixedcontact and a movable contact, said movable armature being attracted toward said magnet to open said switch when the first mentioned portion is vertically positioned, means in said switch normally urging said movable contact toward said. fixedcontact to close said switch, a supply pipe connected to said nozzle for supplying fluid thereto, a magnetic valve positioned in said pipe for controlling the flow of fluid therethrough,

said valve being operable upon closing of said switch contacts, said switch contacts closing upon pivotal movement of the first mentioned portion out of its normal vertical position when the sec' ond mentioned portion is engaged by a basket.

GEORGE J. FEDERIGHI. TORE I-I. NOREN.

References Cited in the file of this patent 548,466 Great Britain Oct.' 12,-.1942 

